Peanuts & Popcorn

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, MLB is using the Southern League for some experimental rule changes, and Leo suggests a reform that may merit testing. An Atlanta-area public school honors the late Hank Aaron and a former Negro-League stadium will undergo a restoration. We look back on the phenomenon that was “Fernandomania”.  We talk about how Bernie Madoff with a lot of Mets Money that the...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we predict the 2021 post-season award winners. The San Diego Padres get some bad news and some good news. We talk about unknown players setting the world on fire and Nolan Arenado has his first big Busch Stadium moment. Shohei Otani has a historic day against the White Sox and Ichiro Suzuki crashes the Dodgers ring ceremony.  David Wells gives us some insight...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, MLB takes a stand on an important political issue. We react to a very strange Opening Day along with the rest of the action from around the league. The Mets make Frankie Lindor a very rich man. Eno Harris from the Athletic makes some bold predictions for the season that sound a lot like some of ours, only better researched. We’ll talk about how the Cubs and the So...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we make our predictions for the new season, and we look back to when Randy Johnson killed a bird. MLB hitters will be allowed to use video again this season while pitchers will be banned from using foreign substances. Batman is back in baseball with the Orioles, and Gio Gonzalez decides to call it a career. There’s lots to talk about with the Cubs and the Sox. Our...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, as this may be the last year ever where pitchers hit, Jayson Stark tells us some things to watch out for. An article in 538.com breaks down the impact of Negro League stats to the official MLB statistical record. Joe Maddon says that deadening the baseball would be better than banning the shift. The Mets and Yankees will have fans in the stands for the home opener...

This week on Peanuts & Popcorn , we kickoff the 5th season of the podcast with Ernie Harwell reciting the Voice of the Turtle.  The Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 will be…the Class of 2020, as the writers failed to elect a single player. Curt Schilling, in his penultimate year of eligibility, asks to be removed from the ballot. The New York Mets need to make changes in HR while...

This week on our special mid-season hot-stove edition of Peanuts and Popcorn, Henry Aaron passes… as well as Don Sutton and Tommy LaSorda.   Que descansen en paz. The Miami Marlins choose their new GM and the Cleveland Indians announce their intention to change their offensive nickname. Are pitchers cheating to gain a competitive edge? We look at the remaining big free agents. All that p...

This week on the final Peanuts and Popcorn episode of the season, the World Series is over; the Dodgers are World Champions as Dave Roberts joins a very exclusive club and Justin Turner behaves very irresponsibly. The White Sox hire Tony LaRussa and the Tigers bring in AJ Hinch.  Will the Red Sox bring back Alex Cora?  Does new owner, Steve Cohen, make the Mets a better team?  We marvel at the lac...

This week on this season’s penultimate episode of Peanuts and Popcorn, the World Series is underway and its turning into a doozy.  The Rays and Dodgers are knotted at 2 games each.  We’ll break down the action from Globe Life Park, including last night's World Series classic walk-off by the Rays.  Is Mookie Betts better than Mike Trout?  Former Astros GM, Jeff Luhnow, wonders i...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we keep our black armbands on as we react to the passing of Joe Morgan. The Rays are going to the World Series and they'll be playing either the Dodgers or the Braves. We break down both League Championship Series.  The Rick Renteria era ends on the South Side; who will be filling out the lineups in 2021?  In our Cubs segment, we examine what the Cubs mi...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, another Hall of Famer passes away.  We discuss the career of Whitey Ford. The divisional round has come and gone as each league is distilled down to two.  We’ll talk about some great catches in post season history.  We cover Alexis Blackburn’s harrowing story of domestic abuse.  We also discuss the changes in MLB management around the league. &...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we mourn the passing of our hero, Bob Gibson. The first round of the MLB playoffs is over, what did we learn? White Sox fans are mad at ESPN, and we will look at the best 60-game stretch by an individual player. The Tigers and Red Sox are looking for new managers and an old name is taken off the MVP trophy.  We’ll talk about the Chicago Cubs’ final week of th...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, today is the last day of the 2020 Baseball season. We’ll look at the division winners, possible playoff pairings and our choices for postseason awards. The Reds and Marlins qualify for the playoffs while broadcaster, Thom Brennaman, ends his association with the former. The Cubs and White Sox play the most consequential Cross-town Classic ever  This week on P...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, the 2020 Major League Baseball playoffs will be played in the bubbles of LA, San Diego, Dallas and Houston. Dan McNeil is sent packing, has Chicago radio heard the last of him? We’ll react to Joe Posnanski’s choice for #3 of his 60 greatest moments in baseball series. The Wilpons have agreed to sell the Mets to Steve Cohen, but JROD is waiting in the wings.  ...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we’ll discuss the legacy of Lou Brock. The last president of the American League, Gene Budig passes away and we will honor the memory of Roberto Clemente.  Oliver Perez is still pitching in the majors and lifting his teammates all the while.  Joe West tosses the National’s GM and JLO and AROD still may yet buy the Mets.  We’ll have the week that was...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, an unexpected flurry of trades took place before Monday’s deadline. We’ll name the winner and the losers. Tom Seaver passes away and America remembers one of the all-time greats.  Erk Kratz sheds tears during a Zoom interview, and Mike Trout becomes the Angels franchise leader in home runs. The Cubs are still in first place, did they improve themselves enough...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, Jackie Robinson Day was Friday amidst terrible violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Chicago White Sox are rising to the top of the AL Central, Mets GM, Brodie Van Wagenen is in hot water.  The Chicago Cubs are struggling.  This week on Popcorn, our movie discussion begins at 50:10. It's Fernando Trueba ’s Belle Époque.  Next Week: El Laberinto Del Fa...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn,  Fernando Tatis violates an unwritten rule; C.C. Sabathia and Tony Clark discuss their efforts to increase African American representation in MLB.  Reds announcer Thom Brennaman is in hot, hot water. The Cubs have lost 2 in a row to the Sox.  Has the tide finally changed in the Sox favor?  The Cubs claim that they are destitute.  This week...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn… We are back on the air after two weeks of reflection and meditation.  The Houston Astros clearly have issues when working and playing with others.  We’ll discuss some of the surprises and disappointments of the first three weeks of the season as well as whether or not the St. Louis Cardinals will be able to play the full sixty games.  A playoff bubb...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn…Major League Baseball announces a new playoff format for 2020 where 16 of the 30 teams qualify for the postseason. The 2020 season begins and Black Lives Matter is a central focus of the pre-game ceremonies. The Dodgers make Mookie Betts a very rich man and the Toronto Blue Jays will be playing their home games in Buffalo.  This week, Lucas Smith joins us to t...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, it looks like the Washington Redskins will not be the only sports team changing it's name.  It was 10 years ago that Benjy Molena improbably hit for the cycle.  The Blue Jays can't play in Canada as more players are testing positive for Covid.  We cover the curious case of Yasiel Puig.  We also ask the question:  Is every small baseball to...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, not content to just practice, MLB teams are now playing actual inter-squad games.  We’ll react to what has been seen to this point.  MLB announces the official schedule for… 2021.  We ask the question, why? Joe Posnanski looks back on the career of David Freese.  We examine if the Chicago White Sox are ready to compete.  Buster Posey opts...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, don’t call it Spring Training 2.0, call it Summer Camp, and it's underway as some players are ready play while other opt out, while others still are injured. Rob Manfred walks back an embarrassing admission; while the White Sox will be playing a different opponent in Iowa. The 2020 Koshien Tournament in Japan has been cancelled and Bobby Bonilla Day came and went...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, a second Spring Training begins and a 60 game regular season should begin later next month.  We’ll talk about how this whole thing is supposed to happen. There are unsigned free agents out there who might still help a team.  Jayson Stark writes about the impending universal DH.  We'll try to predict the impact of the new extra-inning rule and we rev...

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, either a deal is in place to start the season, or we are looking at waiting until 2021, but as five Phillies test for COVID-19, is this all a waste of time? Pitchers hitting may soon be a thing of the past,.  The Minnesota Twins are in the news of late, we’ll tell you why and we'll give our thoughts on the ESPN documentary on the 1998 Home Run Chase; in the “...